


Coffee for Two

by Skelitzel



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Barista Reader, Commissioned Story, Flirting, Fluff, Flustered Sans, One Shot, Post Pacifist Route, Shy Sans, sans pov, surface story, tingling cheekbones, uber fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 05:08:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15812025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skelitzel/pseuds/Skelitzel
Summary: Sans has never had a crush on anyone before, let alone a human. He’s always been used to being the funny guy making everyone laugh or groan from his teasings. But when the glowing lights of his eyes met yours for the first time, a strange spark leapt within his soul, and suddenly for the first time ever... he wanted to order a coffee.





	Coffee for Two

**Author's Note:**

> A commission for the super sweet @mavi-mav on Tumblr!

The gentle chimes above the door reminded Sans that, yes, as much as he’d love to deny it, morning had come once again. He meandered over to the display case of spider donuts, nodding to a few other early morning patrons. Surface life was… still hard to get used to. Who would’ve thought he’d be able to enjoy a cool late summer morning with the sun in the sky, looking for work and just… living. Being free.

Looking for new part time jobs to pass the time.

Or to avoid Papyrus’ goodnatured nagging.

Who could say?

He chuckled to himself and picked up a sugary glazed donut, taking a bite before turning to check out Muffet’s display of teas. She’d expanded her business quite a bit since leaving the Underground. She’d even hired a few human employees who were able to cook and prepare drinks for human customers that didn’t want to pay the higher cost of monster delights. Magical food wasn’t cheap after all.

The tea bar was his favorite. It was self service, and always had more than a few of his usual choices. 

“Can I help you, sir?” a polite, sweet voice asked from behind and interrupted him mid-bite. 

He turned and gulped, his soul stuttering in surprise. You stood before him, hair tucked under a cap and an apron tied around your waist. Your lips were caught between pursing in annoyance and smiling in amusement. His teeth parted, but he was at a loss for words. He covered it with a small cough and started again, smiling cheekily, “i dunno, can you?”

You rolled your eyes and shake your head, the smile winning over. “My apologies, may I help you, sir?” You gestured to the half eaten donut in his hand, and raised an eyebrow.

Sir. You kept calling him sir. His cheekbones tingled and he started to say, “y-you can just call me-“

“Oh hello, Sans!” Muffet said cheerfully, sauntering over and clasping her hands. “How are you this morning?” Before he could respond, she placed a hand on your shoulder and waved him off, “Don’t mind him, dearie, he stops by now and then for tea and the occasional snack.” Her eyes looked at him slyly, “But he always pays. We don’t offer tabs here.”

The tingling in his cheekbones increased and he was sure she could see the telltale blue hue if her giggle had anything to say about it.

“Oh, my mistake,” you say with a sheepish laugh and rub your arm, “I was worried I’d have a bone to pick with a customer on my first day.”

Muffet’s many eyes rolled and Sans’ soul nearly leaped out of his rib cage. You. Made. Puns. He took a half-step forward, but Muffet wrapped an arm around your shoulders and whisked you away to the counter.

“Now, it’s very important you pay attention to the ingredients you use,” she said as she walked away, explaining how not all monsters (himself included) could not properly process human food and you dutifully nodded, eyes going wide. That made him chuckle. Human food wouldn’t kill him, just made him sick as a dog for a few hours.

You returned to your station and began wiping the counter clean of crumbs, that cheerful smile just couldn’t go unreturned. Wow… he’d never seen a human that made his soul feel so… weird. 

The sound of someone clearing their throat snapped him out of his daze and he jumped, quickly shuffling aside and mumbling an apology. He shook his skull and picked out a tea, filling a glass of hot water and made his way over to the counter.

You smirked a bit when he set his half eaten treat and cup down, ringing him up. “You know, even though you only brought half here I still have to charge you the full cost.”

He grinned, pulling out a few coins, “aw, do you really have to make me pay for the hole thing?”

That laugh again, oh what a cute laugh! You even bashfully tried to hide your smile behind your hand. His cheekbones started to tingle again and he didn’t even realize you repeated the price a few times before he handed over his money. He opened his mouth to say more, but another customer was already setting their items down on the counter. With a sigh, he gave you a quick smile and picked up his things, shuffling out the door to see what kinds of odd jobs he could find for the day.

This quickly became his new routine that he totally tried to act as if it was always routine. He never slept much anyway, but as far as Papyrus knew he was waking up earlier to get a head start on the day. 

You worked the morning shift most often, and your skills in coffee and dealing with grouchy humans was greatly appreciated by Muffet and your peers. You’d always give him a small smile when he walked in, and he’d awkwardly wave, his cheekbones tingling softly. Ugh, how many times did he have to remind himself that you smiled at everyone walking in?

His favorite interactions though, was when you’d walk over to him, hands on your hips and playfully scolding him for eating before paying. He didn’t even like spider donuts that much (don’t tell Muffet), but he definitely liked the way you’d purse your lips, attempting to sound serious and failing in a fit of giggles with him.

The best way to start any morning.

That was, until Muffet told you to stop giving him a hard time and stick to your station.

His soul felt heavy when you politely excused yourself that morning, rushing off to fill orders and prepare coffees and your daily banter quickly came to an end.

Curse the near effortlessness of tea. Coffee was way too complicated with the various choices, roasts, and additions. Tea was easy. Pick some leaves, stick them in water and let it sit for ten minutes to three hours. Perfect.

He couldn’t help looking over his shoulder at your station now and again, the long line for coffee stretching all the way out to the door. He sighed and walked over to the secondary counter between the pastries and teas, letting the monster ring him up. Muffet really was a clever shop owner, adding different sections and lines for people in a rush and people who wanted to hang around a bit.

You called out to him just before he left for the day, and his permanent grin felt a little more genuine as he shyly waved, the bells jingling in farewell as he stepped out into the morning sun.

He’d have to start drinking coffee.

The next morning, his soul already flying high in his ribs, he stepped in and waved hello to the other customers. Play it cool. He cracked a few jokes and got a few laughs. Don’t be nervous. He stepped in line, hands in his pockets, and looked up at the menu. Latte… espresso… macchiato. This might be a little harder than he thought. Okay, just listen to the orders of the people in front of you and pick the same thing. Yeah, that’s simple enough.

The first girl rattled off an order, and his teeth parted in shock. Was she even speaking the same language? How did you know what she was saying? His smile quirked up when you nodded and made the drink so confidently, without hesitation. You really were impressive. He was barely awake, and you were…

He forgot to pay attention as the man in front of him ordered. He cursed to himself, peering over his shoulder to watch you prepare his drink. The girl’s had lots of syrups and cream, but this man’s only had some sugar. The man gave a curt thank you and scooped up his drink before you could respond. Not that you seemed to mind.

Your smile just lit up the room and his soul stuttered again. “Oh good morning, sir,” you said with a warm greeting, eyes shining, “What can I get you today?”

He opened and closed his mouth, his cheekbones already starting to tingle. “i-i thought i said you didn’t have to-“

“Call you sir, I know.” You winked and bowed your head slightly, “What can I get you, Sir Sans?”

A flash of blue illuminated his rib cage for a moment and he thanked the gods he zipped up his jacket that morning, praying you didn’t notice his excitement. “i, uh, i wanted…” he trailed off, his vision blurring as he scrambled to remember what he was here for.

“Coffee?” you offered helpfully, still grinning.

“yes! coffee!” he nodded gratefully.

“Okay, do you want a specific drink? Decaf?” you asked, tilting your head to the side. So cute…

“uhh the regular kind?” he offered blankly, his soul slowly calming down, but his face had to be glowing at this point.

You giggle and type up an order, “Do you know what kind of roast you prefer?”

“n-no, i uh, i dunno much about coffee-“ a customer behind him groaned impatiently, tapping their foot. He rubbed the back of his skull bashfully, “-so i… sorry, i guess i’m not sure how to espresso what i want.”

“Oh, c’mon, some of us got places to be!” the customer complained in an exasperated tone.

He started to turn to acknowledge them, but a gentle touch at his arm stopped them. He turned to face you, your smile gentle, “That’s okay, I wasn’t much for coffee at first either. We have a few roasts that are compatible for monsters.” You nodded to a table, “Why don’t you sit down and I’ll make a few for you?” A soft, subtle pink spread across your cheeks, so faint he wasn’t sure if it was really there. “I have a break in a few minutes, and I can help you find one you like?”

“that’d be great!” he said, maybe a bit too quickly. “i’ll uh, just be over there.” he said shyly and pointed over to the table before shuffling over. He sat down, watching you prepare orders and trying to match drinks to the menu names. Ugh, he barely had the patience to learn different types of teas. Who had the drive to learn all these terms and ways of ordering coffee? It was just a drink!

He shook his skull and chuckled to himself. Everyone had their own tolerance for complications, he supposed. Though in his own opinion, the less effort he had to make the better the day would be.

It took more than a few minutes for you to finish the morning rush orders, but he didn’t mind. He still had no clue what anything was, but the way you proudly walked over to his table with multiple small samples and cream and sugar spread across a cute little tray. You set it down and then smiled bashfully, “Do you… mind if I sit too? I’m kinda tired after all that.”

“of course!” he said, looking over the tray and half standing to be polite. “you have bean on your feet all morning after all.” Nice one, Sans.

You laughed and sat across from him, starting to organize the samples in a row. “Clever. You’re here a lot in the mornings too. Do you work nearby?”

“sometimes,” he said softly, focusing on your hands and the way you set the small cups down carefully in front of him. He was too nervous to meet your eyes again. It always made his cheekbones tingle, and he didn’t want to risk his soul flashing into view again. “i… do a lot of odd jobs, nothing long term.”

“Oh that sounds like it could be fun,” you say cheerfully, leaning against the table. “so you’re pretty skilled at a lot of different things?”

“jack of all trades, master of none.” he laughed, and you laughed with him. He picked up the first one and took a small sip, and immediately regretted it. “ugh, this tastes like dirt.”

“Most of them do,” you say cheekily, picking up the spoon and sprinkling some sugar into his cup, “allow me to sweeten up your day~”

You already do. He blushed and sipped again, sighing a bit. “that’s a little better.”

“I usually put a little cream in it too, it helps.” You say, pouring a little in the second cup for him to try.

“oh, thank you,” he picked it up and held it in his hands. “so, um, do you… do anything after you’re done with work?”

Your puzzled glance made his soul freeze for a moment. Did he sound stupid? “Do you mean like. what else do I do?”

“yeah,” he tried the second one with cream and reached over to sprinkle in some sugar. “i only ever see you around here.”

You hummed and leaned back in your seat, looking out to the cafe in thought. It gave him a moment to admire you, truly. The way your hair caressed your jaw, eyes bright with kindness and playful sass, the perfect mix. The soft curve of your neck leading down to your shoulders and chest. He’d never… wanted someone to hug him before, but he could imagine it’d be very comforting from you.

Gods, that was weird.

His eyes flickered a bit and he realized you were staring at him, “sorry, what?”

You giggled and turned to look at him again, “Maybe you do need coffee. You spaced out a bit there.”

He looked away bashfully, feeling the tingles trickle down the back of his cervical vertebrae, “i’m sorry, i didn’t mean to ignore what you said.”

“Oh it’s fine!” you say, so pure and polite. “I don’t really have time for anything fun,” you sigh and lean against the table again. “I work here as many hours as I can, then study for school. Living in the city is pretty expensive even without paying for class and books,” you glanced at him through your lashes, “I’m kind of jealous you can work so casually and try new things.”

He blushed and scratched his cheekbone, “well it’s not all great, it drives my bro crazy.” He shrugged and set the cup down, “i’m not much of a morning person, or a night person. it’s…. hard sometimes, getting myself to leave the house and staying motivated to accomplish well, anything.” His blush increased and the tingling felt like it was all over his skull. He stared at the empty cups, clenching his fists in his lap, “i just… even though i don’t feel like… anything matters most days, i want to try to help my brother. he’s so cool and works so hard, and even though i… don’t act like it. i do want to help support his goals.”

He watched the steam from the last cup waver side to side, fading away as the liquid slowly cooled. But you… hadn’t said anything. Nervous, he fidgeted in his seat and focused on the cup. He didn’t want to see your face. Your wordless reply was enough to send his mind reeling. You hadn’t thought he was odd before, but now?

You cleared your throat and his eye lights instantly flicked up at the sound of your chair grinding against the floor. “Wow, that’s… that’s really admirable.” you say softly with a sheepish expression, “Sorry, I don’t mean to cut our conversation short, but my break’s over.”

“o-of course,” he moved to stand, but you gestured for him to remain sitting, “i guess Muffet can be a little tense around times huh?”

You just shrugged and picked up the empty cups, flashing him a cute grin. “Maybe, but she’s the best boss I’ve had yet! And I get to meet really cool people and monsters, like you.” That soft pink returned to your face, and this time he was sure you were blushing too. “Um, just… leave the cup on the table when you’re done with the last one. I’ll clean it up later.” you nodded to excuse yourself, scampering off into the back to put your uniform back on.

He smiled to himself, mixing in some cream and sugar like you taught him and finishing the last brew. Somehow, this one tasted even sweeter. But he didn’t think it was from the sugar. He closed his eye sockets and hummed, remembering the soft touch of your hand on his arm. He’d have to talk to Papyrus tonight about his crush. As much as he knew he’d regret it, he really needed a pep talk. Courage.

He stood up and left his money on the table, not wanting to bother you as the next rush filed in for coffee, and gave you a shy wave before heading out for the day. Next time he saw you. 

Next time he saw you, he’d ask you out.

Oh he really hoped he could bring himself to do it.

That evening, he sat down at the table, drumming his hands nervously while Papyrus fussed over a boiling pot of something. “h-hey, Pap?” he said quietly.

“What is it, Sans?” Papyrus asked, looking over his clavicle.

He glanced away, tapping his phalanges together, “um… well, you know how you’re so cool-“

“The coolest!” He said, striking his fist against his sternum.

He chuckled, “right, well, i was gonna ask… have you ever… tried to ask someone out bef-“

The spoon was still spinning in the pot, caught in a whirlpool of sauce as Papyrus dashed over to the table. He slammed his elbows down on the wood, cupping his mandible in his hands while his eye sockets stared deep into Sans soul. “Tell. Me. Everything.”

It was definitely a big mistake to tell Papyrus. He yawned loudly as he shuffled down the street, his slippers hanging half off his feet with each step. He kept him up all night, making him go over every small interaction, every smile and (in his opinion) tacky joke. When strategies and plans seemed to bounce off his skull, Papyrus made a new challenge. If Sans couldn’t get the nerve to ask you out today, he’d march down there himself and investigate the human that wooed his brother so effortlessly.

He groaned, opening the door slowly and throwing on his classic grin. Play it cool. He’d always been so good at hiding his true feelings, so this wasn’t any different, right? He gave his usual greetings and made his way to the line, hands in his pockets. Don’t think about the way his legs were shaking, or how tightly his fists were clenching. He was late this morning too, what if you weren’t here? The line had built up so much he couldn’t even see the counter. Did he miss his chance?

Why were humans so tall in this city?

Six ahead of him.

Then five.

Now only three.

His soul started to race and he peered around the last person in front of him, your tired smile greeting them. They gave a simple thanks and paid, stepping aside let him step forward. Okay, this was it.

“Oh hey, Sans!” You say cheerfully, resting your hands on the counter, “Did you remember which one you liked from yesterday?”

Focus on his soul’s rhythm, keep it steady. “yeah, the last one i think.”

“Mm, Muffet let me try that one too, is that what you’d like today?”

“yeah…” he started to say, watching you type something into the register. C’mon, Sans, just ask. “actually…”

You paused and looked up at him, tilting your head to the side a bit, “Oh, did you want something else?”

He glanced away, looking out toward the sunshine streaming through the window to calm his soul. “could i… could we go out sometime? i’d like to spend time with you, get to know you.”

You were silent again, maybe only for thirty seconds but it felt like thirty minutes. You cleared your throat to get his attention, and your tone was apologetic. “I’m so sorry if I… made you think that I…” you blushed and looked down, “I don’t really-“

“it’s fine!” he said quickly, holding his hands up. “totally fine, don’t worry about it. forget i asked.” Keep that smile up buddy, just keep it up until you could go back home. Go back to bed.

He started to step away, wanting to leave, but you leaned out to grab his jacket sleeve again. “Let me finish,” you said with a soft smile, “what I meant was, I don’t really like to flirt with customers while I’m on the clock.” You winked and his soul soared at your next words.

“But I’m off in fifteen minutes.”


End file.
